Who offers a 'cooling off' period?

[Jonny69]

My t&c's are I'll try and take your trees down without breaking too much stuff, then I want paying.

 

If you want me to do it I will, if you don't I won't.

 

I like a simple life.

 

This is my method. After 10 years running my own business working for schools, council, builders, civils contractors, private etc etc I am currently going through small claims for the 1st time.

 

Pretty good odds considering the amount of jobs in that time. never done t and c's. Never got a payment schedule on the invoice.

[skyhuck]

This is my method. After 10 years running my own business working for schools, council, builders, civils contractors, private etc etc I am currently going through small claims for the 1st time.

 

Pretty good odds considering the amount of jobs in that time. never done t and c's. Never got a payment schedule on the invoice.

 

I've done 20 years and never had a major problem or had to use small claims, almost never do written quotes, but I ring every customer the night before we intend to go and ask if its convenient to come the following day, but in honesty if we arrived in the morning and they said they no longer wanted the job doing, we would simply leave.

[john p]

Exactly.

Plus every builder/construction company want stuff done at about 7 minutes notice.

 

 

It's unreal isn't it,?! It's like they've only just noticed that branch is growing right through where the gable end has got to go, despite digging footings then building up to within 6 inches of it

[Jonny69]

I've done 20 years and never had a major problem or had to use small claims, almost never do written quotes, but I ring every customer the night before we intend to go and ask if its convenient to come the following day, but in honesty if we arrived in the morning and they said they no longer wanted the job doing, we would simply leave.

 

That's really good going. I am pretty picky with who I work for mind. As you must be too.

 

Just one eejit bankrupt crooked landscaper can't or doesn't want to pay up.

 

Never had any issues with it before.

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

Maybe I'm behind the times with all the management jargon these days.

 

I recently had a Tree Maintenance flyer through my door.

 

Whilst I admire the effort people put in to these things I found myself wondering if it's just me being a cynical old fart or what??

 

Apert from offering Topping and Crowning as main services it also offered

a 'cooling off period if required'

 

I just can't see how that works and how it would make a potential customer think...'These are the guys for me'

 

It makes as much sense as a second-hand coffin I once saw in a junk shop!

 

Are we falling behind the times?

 

My understanding of the Consumer Contract Regs. 2013 is that you must offer, n strictly speaking in writing I believe, a "14-day cooling of period" when selling your services in or at a customers home.

 

See here Buying at home - 'off premises' contracts explained | Trading Standards | Hampshire County Council

 

Cheers..

Paul

 

PS Please excuse this post if the information has gone before.

[Gray git]

Better re write your terms and conditions download on the website then Paul as I don't think it is included.

[Gary Prentice]

We've had it attached to written quotes for a few years, on the instruction of the local Trading Standards/Fair Trade organization. TBH it causes nothing but confusion to the majority of domestic customers who think that we can't do the job until after the expiry of the cooling off period.

[Burgess]

If you haven't got the correct cooling off period in your contract (depends on where you are selling goods/services but its 14 days for arb work) then it is not a legal contract and they can choose not to pay, just like if they ask you to cut down that tiny prunus and you charge an extra £10 without re issuing terms and getting written agreement (along with waivered right to canel) it is not a legal contract and they don't have to pay. Of course 99.99999% of people aren't going to not pay you over it but that doesn't change the consumer law of distance selling.

[Shane]

I was under the impression that English law requires an offer, and an acceptance of that offer, for a contract to exist (as long as the goods/services are not, in themselves, illegal). There seems to be a truck load of complication/fear/anxiety/bollox surrounding legal issues which seems to suit only one profession (and it's not arborists).

 

I, for one, am going to carry on as before (too old to evolve anyway!)

 

I hope they have wifi in prison, then I can keep in touch.

[Mark Bolam]

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